Last Days of Splashy-Splash

Good afternoon from South Beach!

Right now, I (Bret) am sitting on the balcony of the South Beach condo watching the waves of the Atlantic crash onto the sandy shores as I reflect on the last several days Claudia and I have spent here. We've been working hard here: bronzing our skin under the summer sun, floating like boueys in the waters, and discussing the various cuisines that we have endulged in over the last few weeks of our honeymoon. But our time here in the Miami area is coming to an end, as we will soon (Thursday) be leaving for the "cold" New York City.

Since our last adventure, we have continued our mission to try the widest variety of local foods that the Miami area has to offer. Recently we visited Sheba Ethiopian restaurant in the design district, where Claudia and I inhaled the offered vegetable (including lentils, collard greens, split peas, etc.) and meat (lamb, chicken, beef, and vegetables) combination dishes, respectively. All meals come with spongy bread that (in combination with your hands) is used to eat the ordered dishes; silverware was not an acceptable option for us adventurers! After our meal, we enjoyed a very generously-filled glass of drambuie and headed to the streets to check out some of the local art.

When we originally arrived in the neighborhood, we were almost the only humans in the vicinity. But after we gorged ourselves with Ethiopian food and our chosen elixir and exited the building, we found ourselves in the midsts of a not-so-lame party. All of the dozen or so art galleries had opened their doors to the public and were offering free items (wine, water, etc) to try and lure people in. And of course, since I did not want to drive on a full stomach, we decided that it would be best to simply let the forces that be guide us into a few galleries to check out the art ... and maybe we would have a bit of wine to wash down the Ethiopian. All-in-all, Claudia and I give the Ethiopian restaurant and design district an enthusiastic thumbs up.

In addition to our Ethiopian experience, we recently enjoyed the virtues of being near a grandmother on Grandparent's Day. On Sunday, we celebrated this holiday with Claudia's Grandma Blanca, who invited us to her home (in Kendal) to enjoy some delicious home cooked filet mignon with vegetables and fluffy-yellow-cake dessert. In addition to this wonderful end of the week meal, we went out to the local mall to shop for some European-style clothing at Zara. As you can see from the picture at right, I am truly ready for my imminent move accross the pond.